Last year, Google announced Android 4.4 KitKat and its rich feature set alongside the Nexus 5, the company’s brand new Nexus smartphone. The Nexus 5 went on sale shortly after Google’s announcement and promptly took its place amongst Android’s elite smartphones. The Nexus 5 ranks among Android’s best but like most smartphones, it arrived with some flaws.

In the aftermath of the Nexus 5 release, Google rolled out Android 4.4.1 KitKat and Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates that were aimed at solving some of the initial problems that arrived on board Android 4.4 KitKat. More specifically, the updates were aimed at improving the Nexus 5’s camera. As we noted in our review, the update did bring some noticeable improvements to photos shot with the device’s 8MP rear shooter. It did not, however, fix the Nexus 5’s inconsistent battery life.

As we noted in our Nexus 5 review and in a follow up review a month later, the Nexus 5 is a solid smartphone. However, its battery life is extremely inconsistent. From our review back in December:

There is no way to spin it, battery life on the Nexus 5 is sub-par, and sporadic to say the least. Some days I get 24 hours out of a single charge with a good 2 hours+ of screen-on time (an important part of battery life claims) and some days my Nexus 5 dies in 7-8 hours no matter how much — or more importantly — how little I actually use it. I can’t get a grip on what the deal is, and sometimes it’s Google Now (Google services) using more battery than it should, and a reboot helps it out.

That being said, the Nexus 5 still isn’t my “go-to” device simply because I never quite know what to expect with the battery. This could be due to Google Now and the launcher working more than usual, location and services data, or something else, but I’m just not 100% confident in the Nexus 5 battery. As a result, I find myself using the Galaxy S4 Google Play edition more, simply because the battery is not only bigger, but more consistent with my expectations.

Fortunately, it looks like Google’s next major Android update could turn things around for Nexus 5 users experiencing poor battery life. Android L, the company’s next major Android release, was recently released to Android developers. And as the smoke has settled, we’re starting to see feedback regarding its key features.

One of those features is Project Volta which Google says is “our effort to make the platform energy efficient and to give you more control over resource usage.” In simpler terms, it means that Android L should deliver improved battery life to Android devices. And thankfully, it appears that the update will not disappoint.

Tests performed byArsTechnica show that the Nexus 5 received a significant battery life boost after bumping up from Android 4.4.4 KitKat to the Android L developer preview. By their estimate, the Nexus 5 gets thirty-six percent more battery life on Android L. That’s two more hours of use and that’s a significant increase and one that would certainly please those plagued by battery life problems since launch.

While we’ll reserve judgement for later in the year, we should note that we’ve noticed better battery life on one of our Nexus 5’s running the Android L developer preview. We’ve also noticed that the device has much better standby battery time, something that was a problem in Android 4.4.2 KitKat and remains a problem inside Android 4.4.4 KitKat.

All in all, this appears to be a win-win for Nexus 5 users. Users that aren’t experiencing battery life issues should get a bump and Nexus 5 owners that are dealing with problems should also see a difference with the Android L update. Of course, mileage will almost certainly vary and we could see some differences between the developer preview and the public release.

Android L is expected to touch down later this year though Google still hasn’t offered a release window. Android L rumors put the release date somewhere between October and December alongside a new Nexus 8 tablet but that remains unconfirmed.

5 Comments

The main problem with the Nexus 5 is the 2300 mAh battery is just too small for a 5″ 1080p display. Everyone told Google it was not enough power, but they didn’t listen.

* The 2013 LG G2 (5.2″, 1080p) on which the Nexus 5 is based has a 3,000 mAh battery. * The 2013 Samsung Galaxy S4 (5.0″, 1080p) has a 2600 mAh battery. * The 2014 HTC One M8 (5.0″, 1080p) has a 2600 mAh battery.

What idiot at Google thought a 2300 mAh battery would work in the Nexus 5? I would have paid an extra $50 each for our two Nexus 5 phones if they had the LG G2 3000 mAh battery. Just go BIGGER Google.

Google consistently has battery issues with their Nexus phones because they go too small. Our two gen3 Galaxy Nexus (4.65″ 720p) phones only had a 1750 mAh battery. Luckily, Samsung sold an official 2000 mAh extended replacement battery with replacement phone back cover. Had to buy TWO of them, for me and my wife’s phones. THAT was the battery it should have shipped with in the first place!

Also, lots of battery complaints also with the gen4 LG Nexus 4 for the same reason. Put a huge battery in the Nexus 6. Do it!

Kevin

He installed the Android “L” developer preview. That is what the new back and home buttons look like in “L”. It’s the new version of Android that follows KitKat, which followed Jelly Bean, which followed Gingerbread. Final name not yet released. Will be something like Lollipop, Lemon Drop, Licorice, Lemon Meringue Pie, etc.